Traffic light



Dec. 11, 1945. A. E. H. MODERN ETA; 7 2,390,610 TRAFFIC LIGHT Filed July 14, 1942 0169.116. 11%"52185, M, QC. @u'I-Le ATTORNEY S Patented Dec. 11, 1945 orrlcs l TRAFFIC LIGHT Albert E. H. Modern, West New York, and James L. Burke, Weehawken, N. J.

Application July 14, 1942, Serial N 0. 450,872

6 Claims.

The present invention is concerned with trafflc signal units of the type used on streets and automobile highways.

Where pairs of red and green lenses are employed for the respective stop and go signals and particularly where four pairs of these are used in each unit, the unit is not only expensive, bulky and heavy, but its operation entails difficulty. Among these are the confusing character of the signal where strong sunlight or a head light shines upon and is reflected from the colored lenses, both of which, under such conditions, would appear to be 7 illuminated with almost equal brightness. Moreover, the driver is obliged to shift his line of vision in order to detect a change in color which constitutes a source of annoyance that is aggravated where illuminated colored commercial and advertising signs, particularly animated signs; abound.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide a trafiic signal unit which obviates all of said objections and'which more particularly {eliminates the use of colored lenses, which exhibits the stop and the go signal in identically the same location, and the clarity and unambigu- :'ity of which signals will not be impaired even when strong sunlight or illumination from a :strong automobile head light is projected thereon. Another object is to provide a signal unit of the :abovetype which is relatively inexpensive and of small bulk and which operates reliably with the use of but two lamp bulbs and is so light in weight that it may be suspended directly in the center {of the street intersection to control traffic in both directions on each of the streets with a minimum of interference from other sources of illumination, thus to obviate the needofor traflic signal units on two or all four of the street corners.

In the accompanying drawing in which is :shown one of various possible embodiments of the several features of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the unit,

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 2'2of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional View taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, and

comprises a square box II] which may be of suitable cast or sheet metal construction, one of the sides or faces of which is shown at H. The unit has a bottom plate l2 and, if desired, a

pyramidal roof l3. Face plate I l of the box has a central window opening which is equipped with a bezel l4 embracing the rim of a colorless lens l5.

In the embodiment shown, for controlling twoway trafiic at street intersections, such lenses are provided in each of the four sides of the box. A cruciform septum l6 extends horizontally in the diametral plane of the respective Window openings and lenses. That septum has a generally square hub I! and four arms [8 radiating outward therefrom, the sides of each arm desirably diverging and its ends being secured, desirably by soldering, brazing or welding into the corners [9 of the box as shown. Consecutive diametral arms of the septum are spaced from each other as at 20 by a distance greater than the diameter of the lens so as to afford a free passage for light through the respective lenses from the light source within the box. That light source desirably comprises two lamp bulbs 2i and 22 in corresponding sockets 23 and 24 mounted upon the respective faces of the septum hub 11. Upstanding walls 25 extend obliquely relative to the face plates, preferably substantially diagonally inward from the respective vertical edges of the box, at right angles to the septum I 6 and symmetrically along the respective arms I 8 of the septum. These upstanding walls extend both above and below the plane of the septum and said walls are desirably brazed, soldered or welded in place. Each of the upstanding walls 25 is triangular in shape as shown, the outer edges of the respective walls converging obliquely inward from the corners of the box to substantially the corners of the septum hub [1, as shown.

Light filter plates or sheets 26, each of the shape of an equilateral trapezoid, are desirably supported on the structure'thus far described. Thus, referring to Figs. 2 and 3 for instance, the longer base 21 of the trapezoidal filter plate 26 extends along the upper edge of the box, the shorter base 28 thereof along the hub of the septum and the sides thereof are supported in metal channels 30 upon the converging outer edges of two consecutive upstanding walls 25. In like manner filter plates will be provided along each of the four sides of the box and a like set of filters will be similarly mounted in the lower half of the box below the septum. The lower filter plates are kept from dropping out of place by the bottom plate I2.

Thus, the interior structure comprises foursquare generally pyramidal conformations, the base of each comprising the corresponding face of the box, the apex of each comprising a ridge determined by the corresponding side of the septum hub [1, two opposed side walls 25 of the pyramidal structure being opaque and, the other opposed side walls being the filter plates.

It will be obvious that the opposite filters 26 and 26' will be of color contrasting with that of the intervening pair of opposed filters. Filters 26 and 26 might be red and the intervening pair green. Similarly, the corresponding opposed filters 26 and 26 below the septum It would be green while the intervening pair of filters would be red. In other words, the filters at opposite sides of the septum would be displaced by'a; right angle with respect to each other.

In operation, upon the illumination of lamp 2| the filters 26 and 26' would pass red light, so that the color at the window lenses l5 and I5 would be red, while the same lamp would cause the other pair of window lenses at right angles thereto. to register green. Upon extinguishing lamp. 2!. andilluminating the, lower lamp. 22 the color situation would, be reversed, the filters '26 and 26 causing the opposed lenses l5 and I5 to show. green while the intervening filters, would cause a red light to appear at the other pair of opposed lenses.

The light passing each filter has free access to the associated lens through the large opening 29 between the arms of the cruciform septum. The light will be. of, the color of the filter, undisturbed in. any wise by the color of the contiguousfilter, since no part of the latter is interposed. in the path of, rays from the. lamp to the. lens. The opaque upstanding walls 25, prevent any mixture of light laterally,

While the drawing shows the arrangement for two-wa trafiic at, intersecting roads, it will, of course, be obvious that the invention could be used for controlling traffic along a single road only, if desired. In that relation the windows on one pair of opposed faces of the box would be closed and only two pairs of filter plates. would be used. The lateral walls and thefilters in that case might berectangular rather than trapezoidal in construction, the upstanding walls that laterally support the filter plates extending along the closed side walls of the box'unit, that box structure itself closing the space between the oblique edges of opposed filters.

It will likewise be understood that in its broadest aspect the invention could also be applied to control traffic in only one direction on a single road, in which event only one window and the-associated pair of filter plates need be used.

It will thus be seen that the structure is light, simple and inexpensive, that it obviates the use of; colored lenses, greatly reduces the number of light bulbs required, reduces the bulk, of the equipment and affords the signal, regardless of color, always at the same place, for ease of vision and avoids confusion or ambiguity of signal by reflection of sunlight or lightlrom a headlamp.

By reason of the'lightness of the equipment it is practical, as suggested in Fig; 1,, to mount" the sameon a cross-wire 3-3 from an eye3 3 directly in the center of the street intersection. It will, however, be understood that the invention may be used" on-traific stanchions, if desired, and" applied in anyconventional or' desirable manner.

It will be understood that in the simplified embodiment serving only'a single road and incorporating no more than two opposed lenses; the box could, if'desired, be=positioned at right angles to the position shown, the septum l6 extending in a vertical rather than in a horizontal plane.

As man changes could be made in the above equipment and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope of the claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described our invention, What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United states is:

l. A trafiic light unit comprising a rectangular box having a face plate provided with a window opening, a horizontal septum within and midway between the top and bottom of said box, a

pair of vertical walls extending obliquely inward from the lateral edge of said face plate and across said septum, the outer edges of said vertical. walls extending obliquely from the respective corners of said. face plate to the septum, plane filters of contrasting color supported at their outer edges near the respective upper and lower edges of the face plate, laterally upon the outer edges of the upstanding walls and engaging the horizontal septum at their inner. edges and lamps attached to, opposite faces of said septum in back of the respective filters,

2. Atraffic light unit comp-rising a box. having a face plate equipped with a Window, a rectangula-r generally pyramidal structure of which the said'plate constitutes, the base and which extends rearward thereirom, said structure having a ridged apex and having one pair of. opaque triangular side faces, the other pair of side faces comprising equilateral trapezoidal light filter plates of contrasting color, a lamp support extending at right angles to said face plate and rearward from said ridged. apex and lamps at opposite faces, of said support associated with the respective filter plates.

3. Arectangular trafiic light unit comprising a casing having two. pairs of opposed window open.- ings, four pairs of symmetrically arranged light filters, each pair being of contrasting colors, said pairs extending obliquely behind the respective windows, means supporting said light filters in fixed relation, the filters behind" the respective windows being spaced from each. other at their inner ends, near themidsection of the unit, a hub at said midsection supported by said light filter supporting means, and a pair of lights carried by said hub extending, at opposite: sides thereof and disposed in the spaces framed by the respective filters at the corresponding side of the hub, andmeans for projecting light selectively upon thefilters a-t eitlkr side of said hub.

4. A trafficlight unit comprising a rectangular box having opposed face plates each equipped witha window, a septum in a; plane diametral of said windows, generally rectangular pyramidal structures converging inward from about the respective windows, each of said pyramidal structures having a pair of opposed opaque sidewalls extending generally diagonally of the box at right angles to said septum, the other pair of opposed side walls-being oflight filtering material ofcontrasting color anda pair of lamps projecting from opposite faces of the central part of said septum and between the corresponding pairs; of light filters of opposed pyramidal structures, said septum allording an opening adjacent each V 5. A traffic light unit comprising arectangular box having side Walls and windows in a pair of opposed said walls, a septum in the diametral plane of said windows extending to and rigid with said walls, said septum having deep openings across the entire diameters of the respective window openings, light filters extending obliquely from the opposite edges of the respective opposed walls to the septum and contacted by said septum at their inner edges and in spaced relation, the opposed filters at opposite faces of the septum being of contrasting color, an opaque structure closing the space between the corresponding lateral edges of the opposed filters associated with the respective windows, and lamps supported on opposite faces of the septum between the respective pairs of filters. V

6. A trafiic light unit comprising a, rectangular box having windows in the four sides thereof, a

cruciform septum having a hub and arms in the diametral plane of said windows, lamps supported by said hub and extending from opposite faces thereof, generally diagonal walls extending inward from the respective corners of said box symmetrically of the arms of said cruciform septum, said walls having oblique outer edges converging at the septum, and eight equilateral trapezoidal filter plates, the longer bases of which engage the respective upper and lower edges of the box, the sides of which are supported upon the oblique outer edges of the respective dia onal walls and the shorter bases of which engage the septum, each pair of horizontally' opposed filters being of the same color, each pair of contiguous filters being of contrasting color.

ALBERT E. H. MODERN. JAMES L. BURKE. 

